LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM STEERING COMMITTEE
TO ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM STEERING COMMITTEE
Bulletin No 5-2009 The Local Government Reform Steering Committee held its latest meeting on 14 May 2009. The meeting focused on the process for assessing checklists completed by local governments, as well as on developing a strategy for engaging with the sector to assist local governments in the development of their reform submissions. The meeting also discussed a range of options for maintaining community representation and local identity following local government amalgamations. All 139 checklists have been received and the Steering Committee would like to express its appreciation for the effort invested by local government in this important exercise. The Committee endorsed a standardised methodology for assessing the checklists so as to obtain an accurate and objective overview of each local government’s capability and sustainability for the benefit of current and future communities. The Department will be providing written feedback to each local government in response to the checklist, with an assessment of relative strengths and weaknesses. The Department is available to provide additional feedback to local governments on their checklists as required. I would urge all local governments to use their checklists as a key document in the next phase of the reform process, which is to include the important phase of consultation with communities and neighbouring local governments. The Committee also discussed the importance of engaging with the sector to assist local governments in the lead up to the reform submission deadline of 31 August 2009. A strategy will be developed to determine priority areas and the most effective method to assist local governments and their communities. In response to a previous request by the Committee, a report providing options for maintaining community and local identity following amalgamation was tabled at the meeting for general discussion. The report included transitional arrangements for elected member representation and models of community representation, including precinct committees, place managers and community advisory committees. A number of avenues for maintaining local identity were identified and these will be communicated to local governments in a later Bulletin. It is important to note that the Minister has endorsed a range of transitional arrangements in respect of elected member representation, in the case of newly amalgamated councils. In such cases, for an interim period, councillor to elector ratios for individual wards will not
need to conform with the councillor to elector ratio requirements normally required by the Local Government Advisory Board. Further details about these transitional arrangements are outlined in Ministerial Circular 5-2009. Finally, I would like to remind local governments that they are welcome to seek funding assistance for the preparation of reform submissions. These will need to address all the elements of the Minister’s reform agenda as outlined in the Structural Reform Guidelines.
Jennifer Mathews DIRECTOR GENERAL 9 June 2009